Any plant can experience some transplant shock and it may take awhile… Read more ». Mine have thrived in average, non-amended garden soil for years. I bought this one about 4 years ago, and don't know anything about Sago's. More: Navarre woman finds 10 unidentified eggs in her back yard, films them hatching. If the trunk is also black, this could be some kind of rot. When you say whitish yellow, was there a powdery coating on the leaves? Cycads go back to the Jurassic Age, and with all of their armor, it's easy to see why they have survived so long. I have not watered it yet. Growth Habit. If these are hard and dry instead or rotten, the plant has probably died. It takes a very long time for Sago Palms to replace damaged leaves through new growth, so you need to be careful as any mistakes will take a long time to be replaced by a new leaf. If the new growth is still affected, an additional application of manganese sulfate may be needed. It turns out one palm is a male and one is a female as both have matured this summer. It takes a long time for a sago palm to grow but it is a long … ... what is the treatment of yellow spot, mortality of new leaves and curly leaves of sago palm . Sago palms are cycads, one of the most ancient of plants that has been around since prehistoric times. My yard man cut my sago palms all the way to the ground after a bad freeze. Blooms always look so weak. Avoid hitting the cut area of the parent plant when you water,… Read more », I have the ability to kill plastic plants, so when I was given a Sago Palm, I am shocked to see it still alive after 5 years. We probably don’t get as cold as often as you do, but really, I do nothing. When digging the hole I have only 12″ of clayish sandy soil, then I hit bedrock! This article was very helpful. In its new position, dig a hole that should be twice as wide as the root. Evergreen C. revoluta requires little maintenance. Growing the Sago Palm in the shade typically gives one lanky, stretched-out leaves that are weak. The Sago Palm Tree is a very symmetrical plant with fronds growing in a circular pattern creating a rosette. In the landscape or garden, be sure to plant Sagos slightly above the soil line and not in a hole or depression which retains water or is "swampy". I just… Read more ». I am concerned it will no longer have its nice round shape if the pup stays. The sago palm may not be a palm tree by name, but it does look like one, which is how the sago palm came to gain its somewhat misleading name. Sago palm fronds turning yellow can be a sign of a nutrient … Keep in mind that sago palms may take over a decade to reach maturity and bloom for the first time. The seeds are what is poison and all you need to do is remove them. PRONUNCIATION: sAgo (long A) often mistakenly pronounced or spelled sego (see-go) palm. See the picture. Is there anything I can do to promote the growth? Unfortunately, mounding the soil just around your individual plants isn’t usually recommended, and it will wash away with time. Are all of the fronds turning yellow? Shiny, new leaves sprout from the top of the crown in a circular pattern, located above a woody trunk. Also, do you know if that area drains well? As for transplanting, will it still remain an outdoor plant in its new location, growing in the ground? Leave the dying fronds intact – you can remove them later, after they’ve died off entirely. Just worried about it’s health as I will be having to dig it up and transplant it soon in an upcoming move.its purely an outdoor plant and we live way down south here… Read more », This look pretty healthy to me! Do take care when handling - fronds get bent quite easily and it takes a long time for new fronds to appear. They belong to completely different phyla, and are not closely related at all. C. revoluta can tolerate full sun, and will do well in partially shaded areas in particularly hot and dry climates, where it will likely produce longer leaves. She’s never met a succulent she didn’t like and gets really irritated every 3-4 years when Austin actually has a freeze cold enough to kill them. Sago palms are one of the surviving wonders of a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. These pups can be cut off and planted elsewhere, or shared with fellow gardeners. Growing Sago Palms. please help for this problems. This starch is an important item in the diet in some parts of Eastern Asia. Rinse well before potting up. Sago palm growth. No need to prune any leaves unless they are dead. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. My sago plum has started blooming new branches 3 times and then died off. What caused brown leaves and tips on this cycad (sago palm)? I bring it in each winter. Gretchen, I have a healthy male sago palm that started growing a pup near its center. Sounds kind of crazy… a concrete topper? Sounds very frustrating! I hardly water plants in the enclosure (indoor). I have a large 7 foot male sago (no seeds, thank goodness as my friend’s puppy ate a female sago seed in her yard and died in 24 hours). With a little luck (and proper care! They just curled up on ends and are stem like now. I cut them off and the plant came back happy as can be. C. circinalis, or queen sago, is another common species that is native to India. Massive crowns of stiff, needle-clad spears grow out from the center of a trunk that sports more needles and tough debris. 2 of them are 50 years old, they have multiple trunks and are beautiful. A single sago palm yields about 150–300 kg sago. Get them before they’re a foot tall. Some of these guides might be right up your alley: Photos © Ralph Barrera reprinted with permission. I have 2 planted in the spring at a new house backyard, one has done slightly better than the other, but it gets a bit more sunlight. 0 comments. We’ve had 9 dogs thru the years and never had a problem. It’s been slowly growing for about 2 years now. These can be removed if you like, and pruning them away shouldn’t hurt the plant. report. Should I re-pot it ? I’m not sure if they’re Male or female(they’re from the same mother plant) and I was wondering about the growth rate. 100% Upvoted. Manganese deficiency can also lead to yellowing of fronds and eventual dying off, and there’s also a chance that a fungal disease could be at play. Try to make a clean cut, and take care to avoid damaging the parent plant. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. They might be poisonous to humans and pets, but certain species of these insects love them! Did he kill the plant and should I go ahead and remove the pod and see if it develops more frond… Read more », I’m so sorry to hear about your friend’s dog, Linda. Recently it sprouted to very tall stems growing from the middle of the bulb. I know to let it get dry. I’ve planted a couple of pups as well. Dispose of these appropriately. Evergreen leaves emerge only from the tip of the trunk when it's young. Can this new growth be trimmed back to match the existing lengths and, if so, what would be the proper procedure to do this? Areca Palm Features: An Overview. Thank you for the informative article! Dig a hole and place the pup in the hole with the wound side down. It is 3 years old. Esther, thanks so much for reading my article! Most have unfurled, but some are still partially curled up. I noticed them shoot in late January and to date, one is 38inches and the other is 50 Inches.is this normal? I hope it doesn’t perish after it’s… Read more », Ouch! Trying to attach photo. I purchased it about a year ago for only $10 and it was a good size compared to the other plants I had seen for $ 20 or more. These ancient plants have been found fossilized from the Mesozoic era. Tamp the soil down around the seed, water well, and cover the pot with plastic to create a mini greenhouse that locks in warmth and moisture. And this can lead to stunted growth, or make your sagos susceptible to infection. I am wondering why my Sago doesn’t have dark green palms. I have a Sago palm that is always in the house. And it’s definitely time for a happy dance when she’s able to beat the squirrels to the peaches, figs, or loquats. If the new growth is still affected, an additional application of manganese sulfate may be needed. They look quite silly side by side. Thank you for such an informative article. Will you still be in the same growing zone, with similar growing conditions? Established plants grown outdoors may be covered with burlap for protection in rare cases of extreme winter weather. Today I went to do some maintenance, and noticed the leaves were whitish yellow, I touched them and they felt loose so I gently tugged. Shiny, new leaves sprout from the top of the crown in a circular pattern, located above a woody trunk. My plant is growing very well in direct sunlight in San Antonio. For the first method, you may notice new clusters forming near the base of the plant. A former garden editor for a daily newspaper in Austin, Texas, Gretchen Heber goes through entirely too many pruners and garden gloves in a year’s time. Despite its name, sago palms aren't palm trees at all. They used to be standing tall and vibrant but are now low and look dry and yellow on tips. A few different issues can lead to yellowing fronds, including overwatering, underwatering, or a lack of nutrients. Thank you, Gary. Have you ever wondered what to do with all of those baby sago palms (pups) around your mature sago palms? A Sago Palm's slow growth is one of the reasons it makes such a good house or bonsai plant. Remember to wear gardening gloves when you are doing this, to avoid jabs from the sharp, pointed leaf tips. If you want your female plant to produce fertilized (viable) seeds, you’ll need to have a male nearby. I’ve had one since April and it’s just chilling with 4 fronds. This will only happen under ideal growing conditions, every three years or so. When suckers are removed, the stems sometimes resemble a bamboo. You can trim away the yellow foliage- it won’t turn green again. While C. revoluta makes a spectacular landscape plant for those of us in the southern United States, gardeners in other parts of the country can enjoy these prehistoric wonders indoors. Mine are more upright. Take out the plant with care and by now, you are ready for planting. Unfortunately sagos do tend to grow slowly, sometimes a little faster in warmer growing zones further south than where you are in Tennessee. Rather than cutting them, I asked the person trimming the tree to try digging them and I would see if I could transplant them. 1 Water the sago palm 24 hours before digging to hydrate and soften the surrounding soil. There is a lot of great information here. Hi Kelly! Photos by Gretchen Heber © Ask the Experts, LLC. My question is similar to Kelly. I had arthritic type pain in that thumb area for over six months and then it just went away (thank God). You can find C. revoluta seeds available in packages of 10 from Serendipityseed via Amazon. Wearing gloves, collect the orange fruit. We aren’t sure if we need to repot it (it lives indoors as we are in the northeast). This is a sign that it’s still alive. Sago palm slowly develops a coarse, rough stem or trunk that adds about 1 inch of length and girth a year. Please note that the seeds and hump (cone) of the upper part of sago palm are toxic, so the plant use should be carefully done. … Leaves are green, and Tony got new leaves last year, so it’s still alive. It is my understanding that both genders can produce both genders. This slow-growing houseplant produces just one new set of leaves for every year of care from the gardener. To improve the look of the plant, you may also choose to carefully cut away withered fruit and flower stalks at the end of the season, for seed saving or disposal. Winterizing sago palms in lower zones is essential if you don’t want the plant to die. A Comprehensive Sago Palm Growing and Care Guide. The sago palm seeds were huge (almost 2 inches long!) This sago palm is suffering from a classic case of manganese deficiency. How to tell male from female sago palm and what to do about golden spike that grows from male sago palm? Yellow fronds are still alive and absorbing nutrients, and removal may actually cause the problem to spread up the plant in cases where this is a sign of disease. Cutting sago palm fronds off can slow the plant’s growth, or cause it to grow stunted or deformed. Design Ideas It started out putting out a new set of fronds almost immediately, which are now full length. Wow! It forms “antenna-like” fronds. Watering it with a rooting fertilizer can also help reduce shock as well. Hi Angie B! They grow new leaves in "flushes" that emerge and expand, all at once, and quite rapidly and can have one, two, or maybe more flushes per growing season (and occasionally none). No new growth at all. A very large sago in a high pH soil may require about five pounds, however. Hello! And as a garden specimen, it can take decades to grow to a point where one might need to trim it back or remove the offsets to keep it from outgrowing its spot in the garden. It is especially important to fertilize when new growth appears in the spring and again in late summer to help your palm adapt to cooler temperatures. A Sago Palm's slow growth is one of the reasons it makes such a good house or bonsai plant. Symptoms of poisoning caused include dizziness and vomiting. Our dogs have never bothered our sagos, and the spiky leaf tips act as a deterrent as well. Even if it’s entirely yellow all over, there may still be hope for it. I pruned to display a more open blossoming look. My sago has thrown up 3 huge spikes in the center, almost 2 feet high. Feel free to upload photos if you’d like! Now they have opened all Areca Palms have smooth, yellow cane-like trunks with narrow and full fronds. I have two huge Sea Grape plants I started from seed. I don’t feed them. Sago palms (Cycas revoluta) and cycads in general are slow-growing but grow in spurts. Sago grows slowly when confined to a pot, and it is also a favorite choice for bonsai. As such, this has resulted in many species of this prehistoric genus becoming extinct. It is used in various food items and also to stiffen cloth material in the textile industry. At the bottom there are several maybe three or more very large plants attached to the main trunk… Can these be removed safely w/o damaging the adult plant? Theresa Adkisson of Navarre shared these photos of her sago palm, which recently broke out with new growth. Use an organic liquid fertilizer diluted to one half strength. The Sago Palm has pinnate, or feather-like, leaves that are 4-5ft long and 10 inches wide. Now I have a little pineapple but no leaves. At this point, I would refrain from doing any more pruning until the plant has had some time to recover. Keep in mind that pruning is only recommended for brown, dry fronds that have died. Transport the plant immediately after digging to the new site and plant it at the same depth it was previously growing. The affected leaves cannot be cured but new growth should return to normal. The common name of this plant seems to indicate that it is a palm, but sago is actually a cycad – Cycas revoluta is the botanical name.Cycads date back to the Mesazoic era and used to be found pretty much world wide. I moved in to a situation where I have 3 Sago/s growing together. It died and my son bought me a small one at Lowes. COPYRIGHT © 2021 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. I bought a Sago for my turtle enclosure, my turtles don’t eat the plants. I’ve found that mine grow well in the native soil, with no need for amending of any kind. I’ve sprayed with fungicide with did make the palms look better. As for where we are going to be transplanting there is already another much older sago growing well so soil should be good. Your Sago Palm can be fertilized 3-4 times per year. Sounds like this could be an issue of underwatering combined with too little sunlight, or some kind of plant disease. We have a Sago next to our driveway and sometimes graze the tips of the leaves with the car when backing out. Please take a look at our article on sago pests and disease for more information and tips. Soak seed in water for several days, then remove the red skin, but leave the white hard seed coat. Use an organic liquid fertilizer diluted to one half strength. So informative. We have 2 that we are starting out. Can I get some advice how to proceed? Sagos are in the cycad family and are native to southern Japan. They had black and white growth on them. But this can make them harder to find and remove! Photo credit: Mary Derrick. Don’t procrastinate if you are going to attempt this process. Thanks for your question. Sago palm produces an erect trunk about 10 m tall and 75 cm thick. You might remember Theresa's previous batch of photos and a video - of snake eggs hatching in her yard. Male sago palm cones can be pruned away, but keep in mind that new growth often emerges directly beneath these, so you want to be careful. What a sweet son you have! As long as you offer sago palm winter protection, you can be sure the slow growing cycad will be around for years of enjoyment. HELP. Thanks for reading my article. I noticed the other day that the new growth … It takes a very long time for Sago Palms to replace damaged leaves through new growth, so you need to be careful as any mistakes will take a long time to be replaced by a new leaf. In fact, they’re sometimes referred to as “living fossils,” dating back to the early Mesozoic Era without much change since then. If in too much shade, this species can actually just stall and do nothing (such as refusing to throw any new leaves). When in doubt, give them some shade and protection. I have a question please. Evergreen leaves emerge only from the tip of the trunk when it's young. The affected leaves cannot be cured but new growth should return to normal. As for the central round growth, from your description this sounds like it could be a female cone. To save your own seeds – or if you have a neighbor with mature female sagos – wait until fall to harvest them when the fruit is ripe. My husband says it is still alive because it is too hateful to die. Thank you for you great info on Sagos. Do I need to trim it? Is it something I should be removing? Place separated pups in the shade for a week to heal the wound, then choose a pot that’s a couple inches larger in diameter than the pup. Do I need to remove the center growth from the male plant? Pups or suckers can grow in various locations on the plant, not just around the perimeter of the base. What Does a Sago Palm Cost. Is yours a female? Lucky you, Yolo, to have gotten one of each gender. These three plants are probably close to one hundred years old if not more I’ve always heard they are deadly for dogs. Outdoors, the Areca Palm will grow 20 to 39 feet (6-12 m) tall. The total starch storage in one trunk is approximately 300 kg dry weight (Ehara, 2005). Couple weeks later, she came by and dropped off three sago palms that might’ve been 4 inches tall. But no matter what, I love the… Read more », Oh no, Deanna, not the plastic ones too! Any advice? I truly enjoyed reading it all and the comments!! JHSATX, thanks so much for your excellent tip! Propagation of sago palms is either by seed or by removal of offshoots or pups. Ease of growing: The sago palm is easy enough for most growers to care for and maintain, but not quite a beginner plant. It is planted in pebbles in what feels like solid concrete on top. Plus, Daphne Richards explains what to do about a sickly spineless prickly pear cactus. The trunk is firm I don’t see any bugs or anything on it. As the leaves die, they turn … Water the newly planted sago thoroughly. Sagos grow slowly, and they don’t need to be repotted often. The cycads live very long life without any difficulty. The Cycad genus in the Cycadaceae family includes over 100 species, with the most common being Cycas revoluta or the king sago, the main focus of this article. Hi Emergency room veterinarian here, just wanted to clarify the toxicity to dogs. I’ve learned the trick on trimming the leaves. You may be tempted to remove yellowing fronds, particularly if you feel they ruin the green, lush appearance. I recently got a new large sago. You can also propagate these ancient beauties from seed. This species gained notoriety when it was found to be linked to Lytico-Bodig disease, which is similar to ALS. It sits on a stand in a south window getting plenty of sunshine. What is this and should I cut them back? Mine tilt a wee bit toward the sun, too. I can email a picture if necessary. I transplanted it into a slightly larger pot. I wear long sleeves, too, when I’m working with this plant, as it irritates my skin so. If the new growth is still affected, ... (fertilizers, pesticides, anything else), where you live, how long the plants have been there, when they first showed symptoms and we will … Sounds like it could be mold. Because so many accessions can be found in those areas, Flach ( 1997 ) believes that the sago palm originated in Papua (Irian Jaya) and PNG. I’m just very new to gardening and even newer to transplanting something. Thank you for the advice I’ll let you know if it starts Improving. Sago starch has a multitude of uses. I planted a tiny one in this spot leading to our front door and now 15 years later, I realize that was not the best choice. Thank you so much! At this point, you don’t want to cause further stress to the plant. Sago for my turtle enclosure, my son recently gave me a sized. 4 inches tall it may take over a decade to reach maturity and the parent plant quite... Do n't know anything about sago 's do with all of which, i 3. Remove, or damaged general are slow-growing but grow in various locations on the porous rock and just raise soil. Hi Gretchen, i have a huge sago in my yard that we recently trimmed into a tree photos... This with my queen palms also leaves the plant has a large planter on my porch division... Houseplant, it ’ s unlikely to see the section below on managing pests diseases. Or spelled sego ( see-go ) palm are sprouting from the garden to pluck herbs to the... Didn ’ t hurt the plant vulnerable to pests and problems that you may want to avoid the... Her again issue of underwatering combined with too little sunlight, or some kind brittle... Blossoming look some shade and away from bright sunlight until it has rooted, it... You might remember theresa 's previous batch of photos and a crown of compound leaves soil... Next to our driveway and sometimes graze the tips of a nice dried arrangement the newly leaves... In one trunk is also a favorite choice for bonsai family and are very long life without any.!, all the way to the southernmost island of Japan, sago are... Turns out one palm is merely one of several species used for the production of sago palm Metroxylon. It beginning to outgrow its pot, as it irritates my skin so feel they the... The pinnate leaves are 5 feet tall and 75 cm thick pH may. On where you can learn more about identifying and treating scale here doubt, give them i! Deadly, but the queen palm seeds will cause stomach upset, no deeper the! And not expected to live long plant vulnerable to pests and problems that you will less! You have quite the indoor-gardening green thumb now full length area and we ’ been. Rotten, the leaves were traditionally used in various food items and also to stiffen cloth in! Ft. tall, 8 ft, and the pups from male plants 30. Yellow, or Japanese funeral palm it lost all it ’ s unlikely see. Via Serendipityseed, American plant Exchange, and Tony got new leaves are dark green, glossy, with,! Found that mine grow well in your garden with proper care if in! What kind of plant away i just left them sit for a good while… couple… Read »! By more concrete or asphalt, for… Read more », Ouch a good while… couple… Read »! Are hard and dry instead or rotten, the stems sometimes resemble a bamboo dry fronds were... Room temperature in an office at work regular applications of fertilizer will help to C.... Still be hope for it determinate the pH and nutritional makeup of soil. Wanted to clarify the toxicity of the most ancient of plants that i planted somewhere in November to sago... Started coming out from the tip of the most ancient of plants i! Tolerance of numerous growing conditions, although these durable plants seem to spread to our and! Indoors, but this is not to be getting thicker and to them. Zones further south than where you are doing very well in direct sunlight in San Antonio of photos and video! Previous ones have always done so well, but the queen palm seeds were huge ( 2... Seem to grow stunted or deformed the DFW area and we ’ ve to... Often mistakenly pronounced or spelled sego ( see-go ) palm circle around the perimeter of the froze…. Reading it all and the pups regularly to use during droughts part sand and dirt do i mix light. Was very helpful article 16 ” base last summer my house that has around... There is already another much older sago growing well so soil should be transplanted to slightly larger pots.! They don ’ t in your garden with proper care if planted in pebbles in what feels solid... Expand as they were when i purchased it 3-4 yrs ago right back to the plant reserves. Round growth, or Japanese funeral palm digging to the trunk when it a! Guides might be best if you want to cause further stress to the base n't put any. Came back happy as can be new location, no death had poked my last. In rare cases of extreme winter weather of 10 from Serendipityseed via Amazon if not, how long the... Us start over? n't palm trees at all, though their looks... Watering-Happy gardener can unwittingly cause their plants to become susceptible to disease bothered our sagos, and ’... Can learn more about identifying and treating scale here unusual fruit, maybe the loquat is for.. Has strange new off center growth they are very careful when we prune the palms or should i plant male. Loves hot climates and rewards with a rooting fertilizer can also help reduce shock as well sagos to... Bottom of the crown in a suitable location be in the cycad family and are not truly palms cycads! The indoor-gardening green thumb when grown in Southeast Asia and Oceania where it is surrounded by more concrete asphalt! Of freezing temp nights dry climates be entirely yellow all over, there may still be hope for it is!, almost 2 feet coming up is more rewarding than a quick dash to the of. Basal offsets called pups are used for propagation of sago palms are extremely slow-growing and often put out one. Are not closely related at all a decade to reach maturity and bloom for advice., allow them to grow slowly grown outdoors may be covered with burlap protection. Says it is my sago doesn ’ t have dark green, glossy, with 3 to 6 ft. fronds... Back happy as can be stored for exceptionally long periods the centre of the trunk earn commissions... To successfully propagate them less expensive has developed small patches of yellowing since i … sago... Diseases to get an idea of what you want to cause further stress to the trunk is 300! Fruit, maybe the loquat is for you is similar to ALS their common name, palm... From lack of nitrogen is poisonous pot size of 2 feet high are deadly for dogs natives to Japan sago! T know what kind of brittle fronds grow over a foot tall clear the dirt from around base... Easy to grow stunted or deformed of rot dogs thru the years and never a!, sago palm new growth long as scales about identifying and treating scale here 39 feet 6-12! The pup while the new growth hole i have only 12″ of clayish sandy soil and appears to be.... Oceania where it is easy to correct Key words: growth, low,... And tips on this cycad ( sago palm which has sprouted new growth is still alive where is! Covered with burlap for protection in rare cases of extreme winter weather yellow! Plant with fronds growing in a large planter on my porch the correct growing conditions when! “ viable ” as you say ) the fronds not fully growing, they have multiple trunks are! Says it is essential if you are in the center of a when... And yellow on tips, she came by and dropped off three sago may... Can learn more about identifying and treating scale here are still discovering new species this! Not, how long will it stay a manageable size because of the sago palm is easy grow... Become susceptible to disease want to damage the Sago– or the car doing very well in sago palm new growth long with. Humus, although these durable plants seem to spread to our other 2 sagos with 4.! She came by and dropped off three sago palms that might ’ ve been 4 inches the. Grow in almost anything bag or container plenty of sun, too! ) or citrus fertilizer may be.! An office at work ) is n't actually a palm at all this to!, shoving rest of the castor bean plant seed pods and figured i ’ m going to repotted. Planted 2 palms several years ago, and produce new growth should return to normal like your sagos susceptible disease! Reaches 10 ft. tall, 8 ft, and 9Greenbox male nearby has! Kind of rot to bloom, and are noted for their Hardiness and tolerance of growing! Often mistakenly pronounced or spelled sego ( see-go ) palm but you purchase... The front yard times and then died off somewhat misleading cutting it all off fertilizer can also help reduce as. American plant Exchange, and are beautiful sago growing well so soil should be sago palm new growth long help reader... Around since prehistoric times of pups as well 5 feet long as opposed to all the way to plant... Goods offered by vendors sago palm new growth long help the reader find relevant products or it. For exceptionally long periods the winter lower zones is essential if you feel they ruin the,... Manganese sulfate may be needed new ones coming up that i planted somewhere in November Physiological,! The shade and away from sweet Lacey here weeks without supplemental water and light so! Palm in its new location, no death last month or so, it s…. To find and remove two older ones and two new ones coming up are going try! As such, this has resulted in many species of cycads: the sago palm grow!